Matty Groves Lyrics
Lord Darnell's wife came into church, the gospel for to hear.
And there she saw little Matty Groves, walking in the crowd.
Come home with me, little Matty Groves, and sleep with me till light.”
By the rings on your fingers I can tell you are Lord Darnell's wife.”
For he is out in the far cornfields, bringing the yearlings home.”
He swore Lord Darnell he would know before the sun would set.
And when he came to the broad mill stream, he took off his shoes and swam.
When he awoke, Lord Darnell he was standing at his feet.
How do you like my lady who lies in your arms asleep?”
But better I like your lady gay who lies in my arms asleep.”
It'll never be said in fair England that I slew a naked man.”
For you have two long beaten swords and I not a pocket-knife.”
But you will have the better of them and I will have the worse.”
I will strike the very next blow, and I'll kill you if I can.”
Lord Darnell struck the very next blow, and Matty struck no more.
Saying, “Who do you like the best of us, Matty Groves or me?”
“I'd rather a kiss from dead Matty's lips than you and your finery.”
He struck his wife right through the heart and pinned her against the wall.
But bury my lady at the top for she was of noble kin.”
This song is amazing. I love old folk music. 'Liege & Lief' is such a great album
Great story, like a lot of things; it's difficult to say who's to blame.
The end of this song is great, because it seems at first so anticlimactic -- after everything that's happened, what difference does it make that that the dead wife was of nobler kin than the dead lover? But of course it's at the heart of the story.
The noble wife would have been forgiven if she had reafirmed her love to her lord.. but the peasant boy could not have 'known' her and lived. See the Childe Ballads for other versions of the song.
The noble wife would have been forgiven if she had reafirmed her love to her lord.. but the peasant boy could not have 'known' her and lived. See the Childe Ballads for other versions of the song.
Having played this song thousands of times, the Fairports keep it fresh by doing different versions (even a reggae into one tour). They also re-interpret the lyrics occasionally - for example “How do you like my feather bed? And how do you like my sheets? How do you like the curtains I got in the sale last week?”
It's interesting that technically there was only one murder in the song. Lord Darnell's killing of Matty would have constituted a legal duel, generally frowned upon by the authorities, but not illegal.
It's likely that neither constitute statutory murder. Matty was a peasant, and killing him under any circumstances would not likely have brought a charge to a nobleman. Both killings in the specific circumstances were probably justified in law, since discovering a man with your wife if you were noble in many places warranted the murder of both the wife and the lover. Certainly, in Ancient Greece for instance, the murder of the wife was encouraged, and the murder of the lover forgiven if the man of the house chose to do it.
It's likely that neither constitute statutory murder. Matty was a peasant, and killing him under any circumstances would not likely have brought a charge to a nobleman. Both killings in the specific circumstances were probably justified in law, since discovering a man with your wife if you were noble in many places warranted the murder of both the wife and the lover. Certainly, in Ancient Greece for instance, the murder of the wife was encouraged, and the murder of the lover forgiven if the man of the house chose to do it.
I always want to hear more about the servant, who goes off to tell Lord Donald, but his story stops with this line: “And when he came to the broad millstream, he took off his shoes and he swam.”
I find it hard to believe that he just went swimming for fun, but that he drown while crossing the water and was unable to relay the message. Lord Donald just happened to get home in time, anyway. It raises the tragedy/body count by one.